The Fallen Medicine Woman: The Daily Life of Chun Nuan-Chapter 236 - 168

Regarding whether those repatriated to their original place can travel far.

Everyone doesn’t quite understand this issue, so they can only ask Zhao Minghua.

"Traveling requires a permit." Zhao Minghua thought for a moment, "Chun Ning needs to go with me to Shu City, I’ll find a way."

In other words, whether it’s possible depends on how it’s handled.

Soon, Zhao Minghua told Chun Ning that he could go to Shuzhou.

"Here’s your travel permit."

Name: Xiao Chunning; Gender: Male; Age: Fifteen; Place of origin: An Nan Town, Changzhou...

The information seems correct, yet not quite.

"Brother Zhao, I’m not even fourteen yet."

"Not fourteen yet? Counting by nominal age, isn’t that fifteen? You..."

Still a bit too honest.

"There’s absolutely no problem with this permit."

Half true, half false. 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

Even if problems arise later, you can face them calmly.

"There are many people with the same name, generally it’s not an issue."

It’s not like there’s a court warrant out for criminals, with images posted on the city walls requiring verification upon entry.

The Xiao family’s women were only repatriated to their original place; the male descendants within three generations are forbidden from taking the imperial examinations.

It doesn’t mean they can’t farm or do business; no matter what, there must be a way to make a living.

Repatriation is different from exile.

Exile requires hard labor and supervision, absolutely forbidden from leaving.

Zhao Minghua doesn’t understand the law, doesn’t know if it’s possible. He flipped through several volumes of Great Xia’s legal code overnight without finding any clear mention.

Since it doesn’t say you can’t or can, it depends on how you operate.

There’s a policy above and a countermeasure below, so Zhao Minghua devised a compromise.

In this way, it becomes both reasonable and justified.

"Are there any precedents for those repatriated to travel far in the past?"

Chun Ning, young and honest, still feels anxious.

"Firstly, up until now, your family is the first repatriated family I’ve encountered." Zhao Minghua was frank: "I don’t know if there are, but there’s one thing I’m very clear about."

"What?"

"Looking at the great families who were punished, how many managed to rise again after being repatriated?"

The Great Xia dynasty has a history of over a hundred years, each new emperor ascends by stepping on flesh and blood.

With each emperor comes new ministers; conquerors become kings, defeated become prisoners. Upon taking office, a new emperor will inevitably purge. Heads are cut, exiles are exiled, repatriations are repatriated.

Chun Ning was young and didn’t experience those turbulent times, but he knows that five years ago, the Ma family of the Capital was also exiled and repatriated due to crimes.

Mr. Ma, ranking third class, was beheaded; all male descendants above twelve were exiled to the Northern Desert, women were repatriated to their ancestral home, that prosperous Jiangnan. For all these years, the Ma family has been quiet.

Before trouble befell the Xiao family, he heard classmates mention the downfall of the Ma family; the old madam died en route back to their ancestral home. In the Ma family, there were seven direct and collateral sons, thirty-seven women and children in total, but later they died, escaped, or fell ill, supposedly living miserable lives.

"You remember now, huh?"

Seeing Chun Ning quiet for a long time with an increasingly heavy expression, Zhao Minghua knew he should understand some truths.

"Yes, I remembered the Ma family."

He then shared the Ma family’s situation.

"Indeed, regular great families are numerous and talkative, and the inner workings back home are often sordid. The direct and collateral branches fight to the death." Zhao Minghua sighed: "They can only share happiness, not hardship. When disaster strikes, no one can step up to take charge, unlike your family that’s so united. No need for others to act, they often ruin themselves."

"Their descendants can’t leave their ancestral home, not because the policy doesn’t allow it, but because they lack that capability and strength."

"It’s easy to go from frugal to extravagant, hard to go from extravagant to frugal. When noble women who’ve lived in comfort face adversity, they feel as if the sky is falling. To survive, they must exert all effort. Who talks about progress or continuation?"

"In any era, to get by one must have money. Being raided, exiled, or repatriated leaves one penniless. Those who can grit their teeth and endure are truly skilled."

The more he understands, the deeper Zhao Minghua’s admiration for the Xiao family and Xiao Chunnuan grows.

"Without silver, it’s difficult to take a step, much less talk about traveling far."

Chun Ning nodded.

Brother Zhao dissected and explained everything thoroughly, making him see the reason clearly.

Thus, he can follow Brother Zhao to Shuzhou, traveling from the remote village of An Nan to Shu City hundreds of miles away, not due to any other reason, but because his sister holds up the sky for the Xiao family, creating conditions for them to move out of An Nan Town.